Suction cleaner thread guard on converter port covers



March 16, 1954 v w LA BRI|ERE 2,671,923

SUCTION CLEANER THREAD GUARD ON (:JONVERTER PORT COVERS Filed Nov. 29, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

/ INVENTOH.

/ Nelson I4. L aBriere BY I ' 5' s2; JQTTOBNEY.

March 16, 1954 N. W. LA BRIERE SUCTION CLEANER THREAD GUARD 0N CONVERTER FORT COVERS Filed Nov. 29, 1949 2 $heets-$heet 2 INVENTOR.

Nelson W LaBrz'er'e E na ii;

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES OFFICE SUCTION CLEANER THREAD GUARD N CONVERTER PORT COVERS Nelson W. La Briere, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners and more particularly to a new and improved device to prevent the accumulation of threads and hairs around the drive shaft and belt pulley, and which does not interfere with converting the cleaner from on-the-floor operation to dusting tool cleaning.

An object of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner having an improved device which prevents collection of foreign material around the drive shaft and belt pulley. Another object is to provide an anti-fouling device which is removable from adjacent the drive shaft and belt to provide access thereto. Another object is to provide an anti-fouling device which is attached to a converter port cover and is movable therewith to permit insertion of a converter for oiithe-floor cleaning. A further object is to provide means for guiding the anti-fouling device and also the converter to their operative positions.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a suction cleaner with parts broken away showing the anti-fouling device in position for on-the-floor cleaning;

Figure 2 is an exploded view showing the converter port cover with a thread guard removed and the converter attached for oif-the-floor cleaning; and

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed comprises a suction cleaner body provided with a nozzle ID, a fan chamber H having an outlet I2 and a motor housing 13 on which is pivotally mounted a handle it, and the body is supported on front and rear wheels 55 and I6, respectively. A suction air passageway I1 is formed in part by a front wall 18 and a rear wall l9 and extends from the nozzle mouth 20 to a point 2! above the fan eye 22 formed in the rear wall l9.

Mounted in the housing [3 is an unshown motor having a shaft 23 on which is mounted a fan 24 in the fan chamber H and a belt pulley 25 in the suction air passageway ll. Mounted in the nozzle I0 is a surface agitating member 26 which is rotated by a belt 27 connected to the belt pulley 25. A belt guard 28 spans the nozzle mouth 20 to prevent the belt 21 contacting the floor covering being cleaned. In the nozzle front wall [8, opposite the fan eye 22, is a port 30 which is opened and closed by a cover 3| removably attached to the front wall I8 by a spring latch 32 engaging the peripheral edge 33 of the port 30,

Centrally disposed at the upper end of the suction air passageway Il above the fan eye 22 is a rib 34 extending between the front and rear walls l8 and IS. The rib or guard 3 divides the upper end of the air passageway I1 into two separate portions to prevent circulatory movement of the air stream in the upper end of the air passageway and to also interrupt the continued movement of foreign material such as hairs and strings, whereby the foreign material drops downwardly toward the fan eye 22.

The lower edge of the thread guard 34 is provided with a U-shaped recess 3'! which receives the upper edge 38 of a cooperating thread guard 39 attached to or integrally formed on the cover 3 i. The thread guard 39 is provided with a projection 4| which enters the fan eye 22 and ex tends from immediately adjacent the top side of the shaft 23 to the periphery of the fan eye. The lower edge of the guard 39 is provided with a straight portion 42 and an arcuate portion 43, and the straight portion 42 extends from the fan eye 22 along the shaft 23 to the belt pulley 25 at which point the arcuate portion 43 accommodates the section is of the belt 21 passing over the pulley 25. The guard 39 cooperates with the guard 34 to provide a barrier which prevents the air stream from taking a circulatory path in the air passageway above the shaft 23 and pulley 25, and the juxtaposition of the portions 42 and 43 to the shaft and pulley prevents hairs and strings in the air stream from becoming entangled with the shaft and pulley. In addition, the arcuate portion 43 prevents the belt 21 from sliding off the end ofthe pulley 25.

In normal on-the-floor cleaning the agitator 26 is rotated to loosen the dirt from the floor covering, and the fan 24 creates a suction air stream in the nozzle It to remove the dirt. The air stream includes foreign material such as hairs and strings which pass through the passageway I! toward the fan eye 22 and normally take a circular path about the shaft 23 and pulley 25. The guards 34 and 39 cooperate to divide the air passageway l1 into two separate chambers 45 and 46 to prevent the dirt laden air from rotating about the shaft and pulley and thus guide the dirt laden air directly through the fan eye 22 into the fan chamber 1 I. The hairs and strings in the air stream are also prevented from collecting about the shaft and pulley by the portions 42 and 43 of the guard 39 being arranged adjacent to the shaft 23 and the pulley 25. In addition, the arcuate portion 43 of the guard 39 is arranged with respect to the belt passing over the pulley 25 to prevent the belt from sliding off the pulley.

Access to the fan eye 22, shaft 23 and belt 21 is provided by removing the cover plate 3|, which when removed, displaces the guard 39 through the port 30 to expose the belt, shaft and fan eye. The U-shaped recess 31 encloses the upper edge 38 of the guard 39 to guide the removable replacement of the guard 39 and the cover 3| with respect to the cleaner body.

In order to convert the cleaner from on-thefloor operation to dusting tool cleaning, a converter 50 is provided. The converter 50 comprises a tubular member 51 having an .inner end 52 which is adapted to seat in the fan eye 22, and an outer end 53 to which is attachedan unshown hose provided with suitable surface cleaning nozzles. A spring actuated latch 54 is pivotally mounted on the tubular member and engages the periphery of the port to removably lock the converter on the cleaner body. A lug .55 is formed on the tubular member 5| adapted *to slide in the -U-shaped recess 37 of the guard 34 to guide the inner end 52 of the converter into the fan eye 22.

'When it is desired to use the converter 58, the

011.81 .3! and guard 39 are removed as a unit from suction by sliding the lug 55 in the U-shaped recess 31 on the guard 34 to properly position the onverter in the cleaner.

.If the air passageway .1 1' does not extend appreciably above the fan eye .22 the rib 34 can be eliminated and :the u -.shaped recess 3? :be formed n the cleaner body to uide the thread guard .39, cover 31 and converter :50 for removable replacement on the cleaner body.

While I have shown and described but a single modification of my invention, it is to be understood'that this modification is to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the particular structures sh wnand described, but to include all equivalent variations thereof except as limited .by .the scope of the claims.

I claim:

.1. .In a suction cleaner, a body, a nozzle in said body, suction creating means, a suction air passag way in said body for conveying dirt laden air from said nozzle to said suction creatin means, a shaft in said air passageway, surface agitating means movabl mounted in said nozzle,

a belt in said air passageway connecting said shaft to said surface a itating means for operating the latter, an opening in said body adjacent said shaft and adapted to receive a converter for connection with said suction creating means for conv rting said cleaner to ofi-the-floor cleaning, anti-fouling means on said body and projecting along a side of said shaft and the exterior of said belt to prevent collection of foreign matter about said shaft, and means mounting said anti-fouling means for removal from along said shaft throu h said opening to permit insertion of the converter through said opening to said suction creatin mean 2. in a suction cleaner, a body, a nozzle in said body, suction creating means, a suction air pasand is iii to off-the-fioor cleaning, a cover for opening and closing saidporuanti-fouling means on said cover and projecting along a side of said shaft and along the exterior of said belt when said cover closes said port, said anti-fouling means being removable from along said shaft upon said cover being moved to uncover said port to permit insertionof the converter through said port to said suction creating means.

3. Ina suction cleaner, a body, a nozzle in said body, suction creating means, a suction air passageway in said body for conveying dirt laden air fromsaid nozzle to said suction creating .means, a shaft in said air passageway, surface agitating means movably mounted in said nozzle, a :belt in said air passageway connecting said shaft to said surface agitating means for operating the latter, a port in said body adjacent said shaft, a cover for uncovering and closing said port, rantifouling means on said cover projecting across said air passageway to prevent accumulation of foreign material about said-shaft, said anti-fouling means on said cover being removable from said air passageway upon said cover being moved to uncover said port to provide access to said shaft and said belt.

4. In a suction cleaner, a body, a nozzle in said body, suction creating means, a suction :air passageway in said body for conveying dirt laden air from said nozzle to said suction creating means, a shaft in said air passageway, surface agitating means movably mounted in said nozzle, a belt in said air passageway connecting said shaft to said surface agitating means for operating the latter, a port in said body adjacent said shaft and adapted to receive a converter for connection with said suction creating means for converting said cleaner to off-the-floor cleaning, a cover for uncovering and closing said port, antifouling means movable with said cover, means on said body for guiding said anti-fouling means into said air passageway along a side of said shaft when said cover closes said port, said means also guiding said converter through said opening to said suction creating means after said anti-foul- 'ing means have been removed from along said shaft upon movement of said cover to uncover said port.

NELSCN W. LA BRIERE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,332,235 Staples Mar. 2, 1920 2,008,476 Taylor July 16, 1935 2,072,690 Smellie Mar. 2, 1937 2,204,912 Riebel June 18, 1940 2,340,347 Severance Feb. 1, 1944 2,541,061 Howard Feb. 13, 1951 

